Apparatus for cleaning hulls of ships.



PATENTED 0GT.'30,' 1906.

. P. D. MoLELLAN & J. F. MoKINNO'N. APPARATUS FOR CLEANING HULLS OFSHIPS.

unxouio'n rmm NOV.21, 1905.

cm... Emm

Witnuyeo 1n: nomus PETERS co., wasnmorou, n. c.

UNITED "s TEs PATENT OFFICE.

' PETER D. MoLELL AN AND JOSEPH F. MoKINNON, OF DORGHESTER,

' MASSACHUSETTS- APPARATUS FOR CLEANING HULLS OF SHIPS.

Patented Oct. 30, 1906.

of Ships; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable othersskilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleaning thehulls of ships, and more particularly to a buoyant rubber and means formoving the same in contact with the hull to be cleaned. I

The object in. view is the provision of a cleaning device which may bepassed in contact with the hull of a vessel without removing the vesselfrom the water, such cleaning device being constructed to readilyconform to the contour of the part of the hull to which the same iscontacting.

With this and other objects in. view the invvention comprises certainnovel constructions, combinations, and arrangement of parts, as will behereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of avessel with the present improved apparatus applied thereto.

ig. 2 represents a top plan view of one of the brushes, and Fig. 3represents a longitudinal vertical central section thereof.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates generically acleansing apparatus. (Seen in detail in Figs. 2 and 3 and in o erativeposition in Fig. 1.) As many brus es 1 may be employed as desired, andthe said brushes are preferably connected by suitable cable 2, passedbeneath the keel of the vessel to be cleaned; Cables 3 3 engage the freeends of the brushes 1 and extend upwardly about the sides of the vesselin position to be grasped by the operator.

As seen in F1gs. 2 and 3, 'each of the brushes 1 consists of a back 4,made up .of a

series of sections hinged together, as at 5 5,

and each of said sections are provided with bristles 6 6 andscraping-plates 6 6 or other scraping and cleaning devices. It is to benoted here that of course any form of scraper may be employed inconnection with the sections 4 regardless of whether such scraperassumes the form of a bristle or a knife or other means for removingforeign substances from the hull of a vessel. To the rear of thesections 4 is secured an air-container 7, made of suitable flexiblematerial, and a valve 8 communicates with the container 7 forcontrolling the admission or discharge of air to and from the saidcontainer. A suitable bail 9 may be connected with each of the endsections 4 for being engaged by the cables 2 and 3.

In operation as many of the brushes 1 may be connected up to the cables2 and 3 as may be desired and the chambers 7 inflated. In the inflatedcondition the chamber 7 of each of the brushes is flexible and permitsof flexible movement of the sections 4 with respect to each other, sothat the rubbing or scraping device carried by said sections 4 mareadily follow the contour of the hull of t e vessel being cleaned. Oneof the cables 3 is drawn longitudinally, and the several cleaning aparatus 1 are thereby caused to engage t e under face of the hull of thevessel by reason of the weight of the water tending to lift the buoyantbrushes. Continued movement of one of the cables 3 in one direction willcause one of the brushes 1 to move downwardly to the keel of the vesselbeing cleaned, the said apparatus, owing to the flexibility of thebristle or other scraper supportto wit, the sections 4-following closelythe several curves of the hull. The apparatus is further operated bydrawing the other cable 3 longitudinally for bringing the brush, whichhas just descended to the keel, up toward the surface of the water, andby continued reci rocations of the brush the hull may e cleaned whilethe vessel remains intact and without dry-docking.

What we claim is 1. A device of the character described, comprising aplurality of hinged sections, each section provided with a rigid scraper-and a flexible brushing-surface, a flexible container secured to andcovering the back or outer face of all of said sections, and a valvecarried by said container.

2. device of the character described,

comprising a plurality of parallel, hinged sec- 5 In testimony whereofWe aflix our signations,fa brushing-surface formed upon one tures inpresence of two Witnesses.

side 0 each section a rigid scraper secured to and extendinglongitudinally of each section, PETER MOLELLAN' 5 bails secured to someof said sections, and a JOSEPH MOKINNON flexible container covering allof said sections Witnesses: and fixedly secured thereto, and a valvecar- JAMES C. HEFFRON,

ried by said container. SAM EATON HoLT.

